Dudley's new life and reason
by AmeStrom
Summary: Dudley Dursley has many regrets about his past. But he never every thought that he would end up back in time, and He defiantly never thought he would be able to do magic or go anywhere near Hogwarts, let alone attend it. This all happen because of a necklace he got from a yard sale. gen. fic Time-travel Rated T for possible violence in the future.
1. Chapter 1:Where it starts

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

Now betaed thanks to Whispers in the Dawn.

-Chapter 1: Where it starts-

Dudley sighed and shifted his weight so it was more on his forearms as he rested them on the rail of his porch. He watched the waves rush in towards the shore. You could hear the crash of the waves hitting the side of the cliff below. When Dudley had first come here with the Order, he didn't particularly like it because it had reminded him of the rundown house on the rock. But it had grown on him over time, he had even tried to raise his kids here. But he wouldn't think about that now.

He smirked as he thought that his cousin would think that it was a miracle that he was thinking at all. His cousin and he got along now. They exchanged Christmas cards and Harry had even visited a few times. They had never really talked much during these visits, choosing instead to sit together watching their kids play. Rebecca and Sam had been the center of his life and he had pretty much let them get away with anything. Something his wife had never approved of. He smiled softly at the memories. He pushed himself off the rail and turned around to go into the house, but changed his mind before he opened the door. He pivoted on the heel of his right foot and swiftly crossed the porch again. He vaulted over the railing and landed with a solid thud as he hit the ground in a crouch. He pushed off the ground and ran down the dirt path that was carved into the side of the cliff. As soon as his feet hit the sand of the beach he slowed his pace to a light jog. He headed up the beach with only the moon and his memories to show him the way.

-(In the morning)-

Ring! He groaned as he rolled over and blindly reached for the phone that was beside his bed. The phone rang again before he was able to pick it up. He simple grunted as a greeting.

"Hey, Mate! Did I wake you?"

"Piers?" Dudley grumbled in confusion.

"Yep, that's me! Glad ya remember your old pal. It's been forever since we last talked."

They talked about what they had been up to and Dudley agreed to go visit Piers for a week. He figured that it would be good to get away from the house and his work for a while. After a shower and a quick breakfast he was on his motorcycle heading to the village a half an hour away. Entering the village he noticed a yard sale at a one of the older houses in the area. He glanced down at his watch, he still had a few minutes to spare. Pulling his motorcycle off to the side of the road he parked and headed up the driveway. The house was more of a mansion than a house. It gave you a feeling of foreboding from its tall dark presence. Shaking the feeling off he strolled over to the various boxes that laid around the lawn. Most of it was simply differing degrees of junk. Though he supposed one man's junk is another man's treasure. But apparently it just wasn't his treasure cove. Just before he was going to leave though, something caught his attention. Mixed among the different trinkets was a necklace. It was a small hourglass inside three rings that could turn. The ring that held the hourglass was filled in around it, and had some sort of bird engraved on it. The sand was of a light gold color. Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he glanced up to see a middle aged man had walked over.

"Found something you like?"

"Yeah, I guess. How much is this?" He asked as he held up the necklace.

"O, That you can just have. I had my doubts that I was going to sell it anyway." The man said with a shrug.

Dudley glanced down at it and had a very weird sensation that they were looking a two very different things. "Ah... thanks then."

The young man simply nodded in return.

"I am guessing this stuff wasn't all yours starting out?"

"Nah, It was my great grandmother's. Though I'm pretty sure some of it was in her family way before that even." He said with a laugh.

"Ah, I see." He muttered glancing back over at the old house. "Creepy place isn't it."

"Very! I can't wait until I'm finished sorting through the stuff and can leave."

"Don't you have any family members that can help out?"

"No... My cousin that was willed my great grandma's things was murdered years ago." The young man said trailing off at the end.

"O... I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks." Both of them stood there with an awkward air hanging over them, since neither of them knew what to say.

"Well, have a good day and good luck with selling this stuff." Said Dudley as he turned away and headed back down the driveway.

"Thanks, good-bye." Said the young man with a wave.

He tucked the necklace into the inside pocket of his jacket. He would figure out what to do with it later. After getting back onto his motorcycle he took off to work. Once he reached his destination the creepy old house and necklace was quickly forgotten in the busy flow of work.

-(The next month)-

Time passed at a steady crawl for Dudley. Nothing much happened until he went to visit Piers and his family. That week was the most relaxing he had had in a good year. The last day of his visit he and piers sat on the back step of Piers' parent's house watching Piers' kids play in the backyard.

"Have you ever thought of what it would have been like if we hadn't screwed up so badly as kids?" Dudley asked quietly.

Piers gave him a confused look as he asked "What do you mean?"

Dudley sighed and ran a hand through his stark white hair. (It had turned completely white shortly after he graduated.) "I mean if we hadn't acted like big fat ugly bullies when we were young."

Piers gave him a slow once over before he replied "Sorry to break it to you but the only thing that changed is that you're no longer a bully." He said with a grin.

Dudley tried to hide his amusement with a glare and shoved his laughing best friend off the step. "Look who is talking rat face."

"Oy, that's not fair! You got that from your cousin."

"Doesn't mean it's any less true." Dudley said with a grin. Piers lunged at him, knocking them both onto the ground. After some wrestling around Dudley managed to get him in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles on Piers' head. "Ow! Alright I give up!" yelled Piers. Dudley let go and took a set on the steps again, grinning triumphantly.

"O, shut it." Grumbled Piers as he joined him.

"What? I didn't say anything." Dudley replied innocently as possible, which failed miserably of course.

Piers rolled his eyes in exasperation. "But to answer your question, no I haven't really thought about it since it doesn't matter much anymore. We both have changed since then." He frowned after he paused to think for a second. "Is about your cousin?"

Dudley shrugged noncommittally and stared out over the yard to watch the kids run around the yard as they played tag.

"O... It's really about your family isn't it...?"

Dudley just shrugged again and refused to look at his best friend.

"Let's go see if the food is ready." Piers said abruptly as he stood up. Dudley nodded in agreement and followed him into the house.

- (Back at home)-

That weekend he found himself alone on the beach again. He sat down in the sand and stared out over the sea. He would be the first one to admit that he didn't have a bad life. But he had a lot of regrets about his past. He wished that he could go back and fix his marriage before it had been too late. He wished that he hadn't been that spoiled bully as a kid and had changed sooner. He wish he could have made his cousin's childhood easier than it had been. He had heard several stories of the second Wizarding war from Harry. He felt even more guilty to hear how he had made Harry's life even harder.

Something poked lightly into his chest at that moment. He frowned in confusion as he reached into his jacket and pulled out the necklace he had bought weeks ago. The necklace he had forgotten about. He gently flicked the chain over his neck and slumped back into the sand. He held the hourglass above him as he idly wondered why he had picked it up. It was definitely pretty, even in the dark of the night the gold sand inside it seemed to glow and sparkle. His thought slowly turned back to his regret about his cousin. From that they turned to the stories he had heard about the first and second Wizarding wars._ "It must be very different being a wizard"_ He thought. _"Maybe even exciting. Harry's dad and his friends sounded like a kick. Though they sounded slightly like bullies at times too." But people could change, he was a great example of that after all. _Absentmindedly he flipped the hourglass over several times and he watched it as it spun slowly in its rings. The gold sand in the hourglass suddenly shined like thousands of tiny stars and the world around him dissolved. He had the sensation that he was hurtling backwards. Shapes and colors blurred pass, he couldn't hear anything over a roaring sound in his ears. He felt something surge with in him and then nothing.

- (Author notes)-

I hope anyone who read this enjoyed it and will be willing to review. I also don't have a Beta yet but hopefully there wasn't that many grammar mistakes. I'm not very good at grammar, but hopefully I can improve with time.

For future reference this will be a gen fic. Of course there will be side pairings like James/Lily and Snape has a crush on Lily etc.

Note: The necklace is of course a time-turner. The bird on it is a phoenix a symbol of rebirth. The gold sand is a reference to the Felix Felicis idea behind the hourglass is that it can move the user wherever they wish in time, revert them to whatever age they wish and blend them into that time. Hence the three symbols time-travel, rebirth and success.

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.


	2. Chapter 2: A Bright New World

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

Chapter 2: A Bright New World

Dudley groaned as he slowly came back to himself. The sunlight seemed too bright even to his closed eyes. He turned over and buried his face into his jacket that felt too large to be his. His head pounded as if he had just woken up from being knocked out. Searched his memory for anyone who he chose to pick a fight with to feel this bad, he came up empty handed. So he tried to remember what he had been doing last. He remembered his visit with Piers and the beach. Then the necklace came to mind and the funny thing that it did.

Dudley sat up and opened his eyes. His black leather jacket slide off his shoulder and slumped into the sand. He stared out over the sea that stretched out before him, crystal clear and calm. The sea birds cries could be heard echoing of the rocks. Dudley stood up or at least he tried to. The cloths that he currently had on were a too large for him, and he ended up stepping up onto the hem of the the pair of jeans he wore. Which made him promptly fall on his face. After he was able to upright himself again. He took a good look at himself and found that he was short and stubby like a kid. His T-shirt and jeans had shrunk as well but not nearly enough to fit it . Which was a very odd sensation for him because he never could find enough cloths that were big enough fit him let alone be too big. Even after he had grown up, all his fat as a kid simple became muscle so his size hadn't really change just his shape. Though Harry still occasionally would refer to him as pig in a wig just to annoy him. He felt like he should be more shocked about what just happened then he currently was. Like he should be having a major panic attack, but everyone had always said that he was slow in the up take. _"Maybe it will kick in later."_ He thought blankly.

He turned and picked up his jacket which could easily be for a blanket in his current state and he wandered back up the beach towards his house. He had decided that the best course of action was to call Harry, since freaky was his thing.

When he got to the top of the cliff. The house that greeted him wasn't his. It looked new with it's freshly painted white walls and newly shingled roof. He frowned in confusion. Maybe he got transported somewhere as well as de-aged. After bypassing the house he came across a dirt road. He ambled down it in the same direction that he would have gone if he had been going to the village. With any luck he would run into a place with a little more population.

-(Some time later)-

He ended up in a village with the same name as the village outside of his home. This was not comforting, because it wasn't like his village. Everything was different from the cars that the people drove down the street to what they wore. Dudley didn't like it one bit. This place looked like what his mum and dad's childhood pictures looked like except it was real. After this thought he focused on finding a phone. His cousin should be able to tell him what was going on.

After some time he was able to locate a payphone though with some difficulty as well as some odd looks thrown his way. He dialed his cousin's phone after digging through his pocket to find some change. There was the sound of someone picking up the phone and the words that he heard next sounded like a death sentence to him.

"I am sorry, but the number you've dialed does not exist. Please double check the number and try again."

Dudley could feel what little color that he still had in his face drain. What now? With no way to answer this question, he started to wander down the streets of the village again. He stopped at a newspaper stall and quietly asked for today's paper. The man who was running it was kind enough to give him one for free. He continued down the street for a little ways until he came across a alleyway. He unfolded the newspaper and looked at the date. It read August 25 1971. Dudley slowly folded the newspaper again and stared up at the sky for a few minutes. Then he unfolded the newspaper again and looked at the date, it hadn't changed.

_Could I have really time-traveled? But if I hadn't why didn't my cousin's phone number work, and why is everything like my parent's photos? But how would I have time-traveled in the first place it's impossible! "_ He felt dizzy and the world around him started to spin uncontrollably. His already overloaded mind had decided to give up its stubborn pursuit to try to understand what was going on. _"Maybe,"_ He thought _ "when I wake up this will all be just a terrible nightmare, and I will find myself back on the beach or in my warm bed. Either would be nice."_ Then oblivion took him for the second time that day.

-(A unknown amount of time later)-

When Dudley woke up the first thing he noticed was that his headache was back. The second was that he was in a hospital. Even though he had yet to open his eyes he recognized the the smell. He heard footsteps then a door open.

"He is in here, please do your best not to disturb the other patients." Said a female voice softly.

"We will try to do our best, Miss." Said a male voice.

"Yeah, the thing in the hallway was just a misunderstanding." Said another male voice.

The female humphed obviously not believing him and then there was the sound of the door quietly being closed. There was the sound of footsteps coming close to his bed. Then the were the sound of curtains being close. Someone muttering something under his breath and the sound of chairs being moved across the floor as well as a light thump at the foot of his bed.

"When do you think he will wake up?" Asked the second voice.

"The healer said he should wake any time now. Weren't you listening?" There was a nervous sounding laugh.

"Tusk, tusk, Fabian what are we going to do with you."

"O, shut it. It's not like you can stay wake in one of those dull overview meetings. How was that different?"

Dudley opened his eyes and groggily sat up. He blinked in confusion because he saw double of the the young man that sat beside his bed.

"Hey, He's awake." Said one of them with a grin.

"How are you feeling?" Asked the other with concern.

Dudley blinked then slowly realized that they must be twins. He slowly inspected his surroundings. He sat in a hospital bed that was next to a window that let the sunlight in. His bed was in curtained off cubical. On the bedside table laid the hourglass necklace as well as a glass of water. He then turned his attention back to his visitors. They were wizards that he could easily tell because one was twirling his wand in his right hand. They both wore robes and had flaming red hair. He decided to ignore the question that was asked him and asked a question of his own. "Who are you?"

"I am Fabian Prewett." Said the one with the wand. "And that" With a nod to the other man. "is my brother Gideon Prewett. We are auror and we came to interview you about the attack."

"Fabian!" Growled Gideon at his brother's bluntness.

Dudley blinked and wrinkled his brows in confusion. "What attack?"

Both of them stared at him in shock. "You mean you don't remember?" Asked Gideon cautiously.

Not sure what to say in reply, Dudley just shook his head. "Alright, what do you last remember?"

Dudley frowned_ "I could say that I have amnesia. But do wizards have some way to fix that. After all they did change Auntie Marge's memory. Why wouldn't they be able to fix lost memory at the drop of a hat as well. And saying what really happened was out of the question. Because he doubted that supposed time-travel at least twenty years into the past, sounded even loony to wizards."_ He fidgeted nervously with the white sheets before replying. "I remember going to the beach and back.

"So you don't remember what happened when you got back to the house?" Asked Fabian. Dudley again just shook his head.

Both Gideon and Fabian had frowns and worried expressions on their faces. "I am sorry to have to tell you this but your extended family has been murdered by a group of Dark Wizards call Death Eaters. You were found several blocks from the house unconsciousness. Though your belongs survived due to the delay from bringing them over from America. The house and your extended family's body were destroyed in the fiendfyre that the attackers used to burn it down." said Gideon with a sympathetic look. "You will be staying in a orphanage in Cokeworth until further notice. I am really sorry, Damon."

Dudley nodded and turned his blank gaze down onto the edge of white sheet that was bunched in his hands. Even though he looked somewhat clam on the outside though very pale the inside of his head was in chaos. _"Who in the world was Damon and what extended family!"_

-(Author notes)-

I hoped everyone who read this enjoyed it and will be willing to review. I still don't have a Beta yet so sorry for any mistakes. If anyone would like to be my Beta for this story please PM me. Sorry to disappoint anyone that wanted Dudley to be at Hogwarts all ready. But he probably won't get there until after another chapter at least. What did you guys think of Gideon and Fabian?


	3. Chapter 3: More unanswered questions

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

Chapter 3: More unanswered questions.

He turned his gaze back up at the brothers. Scratching the back of his head as he nervously asked "Are you sure you have the right person?"

Fabian chuckled "Of course we are sure. Besides if we weren't who would you be?"

Dudley opened and closed his mouth for a few seconds trying to think of someway to reply, then finally settled for. "Erm… I don't know just someone else?"

Gideon frowned and exchanged glances with his twin. Fabian nodded and stood up and slipped out of the curtained cubicle. He turned his attention back to Dudley with a soft smile "Well with your stark white hair and you carrying around one of your family's heirlooms." With a nod over to his bedside table. "Its hard not to believe you're Damon Drake. "

Dudley looked over to the table were the hourglass necklace laid. Then he reached over and gingerly picked it up. "Are you sure that no one else survived?" He asked weakly, deciding it was probably best not trying to continue the debate on who he really was.

Gideon looked sympathetic again as he answered. "There are still auror at the scene looking it over, but it is very unlikely that anyone else could have survived."

Dudley put the chain around his neck and tucked the hourglass under his shirt. As he did so he made sure not to turn it, he had learned his lesson the first time. Fabian returned just then with a woman dressed in lime green robes. She smiled at him and pulled out her wand.

"Just relax, this will only take a moment." She said before she waved her wand over him and started muttering under her breath.

Dudley flinched when she had waved her wand but relaxed when only a cold sensation washed over him but nothing more. The witch then turned her attention to the piece of parchment that had appeared in her other hand. "The only thing I can contribute to the memoir loss is post traumatic stress."

"Will he get the memoirs back?" Asked Fabian.

The witch smiled sadly at Dudley, who just stared back blankly. "I do not know. The mind is a amazing thing it can be broken and later on it can heal itself. It also has the ability to protect itself. If it feels that there is a memory that it cannot handle, it will render it inaccessible. So much so that not even the strongest Legilimens wouldn't be able to get to it. Though over time memories might return, it is impossible to know for sure." Her smile brightened for a moment after that and she continued. "But there is some good news. You are in complete physical health and will be able to leave as soon as you wish. I am sorry I couldn't have been of more help." With that said she waved her wand once more and Dudley's clothes appeared at the foot of his bed. Then she turned and left the cubicle.

"We will have to tell the head auror about this." Muttered Gideon to his brother.

"Swell." Fabian replied sarcastically back.

"Come on get up and we will show you where you will be living for the time being. And your trunk is already there, so you won't have to worry about that." Gideon said lightly to Dudley.

"Yes, well I am sure he was extremely worried about his luggage since it must have the ability to grow legs and walked off to find him." Fabian said sarcastically. "Or better yet- Ack!"

Gideon had taken the opportunity to pull him backwards with the collar of his robe.

"We will be waiting near the door, so just come find us when your done." Gideon said, he dragged his brother out through the curtains.

Dudley grin lightly at their antics before he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment trying to get his bearings. _"So what do I know so far? I currently in the year 1971, which I'm still having troubles wrapping my mind around. There are people here claiming me to be this some kid named Damon… and the twins are aurors. Harry was head auror in my time.. he had said that auror were the wizard version of cops. Maybe they would find the real Damon Drake and I can make a break for it. Then figure out how the necklace works."_ With a sigh he ran a hand through his hair and stood up. His head still hurt but not as bad as when he first woke up. He then quickly changed and slipped out of the cubicle.

Like the twins had said they were at the end of the room talking quietly to each other. As he walked across the room he noticed that there were two other patients in the room. They were both looked the same age as his current body. One was a girl that was watching something see able to her move around on the ceiling. The other was a boy who was muttering under his breath and staring at his left hand that was tied to the bed. Dudley shuddered and quickly walked over to the twins.

"So ready to go?" Asked Fabian as he spun around to look at him.

"It won't be bad. The people there are nice." Said Gideon with an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, just think you'll be able to get away with anything with your tragic past. How I wish I could have done that as a kid." Fabian remarked with a dramatic sigh.

"What are you talking about? All you had to do to get away with something was use me as a scapegoat." Gideon grumbled halfheartedly.

Dudley followed them out into a hall. Which to his amazement was light by crystal bubbles that had candles in them and floated above their heads. He also noticed a sign that read:

SPELL DAMAGE….…...Fourth Floor

(Unliftables jinxes, hexes, and incorrectly applied charms etc.)

_"So they must have thought that I was unconscious due to a spell."_ Dudley thought and glanced at the twins that were climbing down a flight of stairs in front of him. After a few more staircases they passed through what he assumed was the waiting room. He saw several things there that he was sure were not normal even in the wizarding world. Like a woman sprouting feathers from her arms and legs and a man with an extra mouth in his hand which kept on trying to bite people. While they passed through this room he made sure to stay close to the Prewetts. Once they got to the other side, Gedeon grabbed Dudley gently by the shoulder and steered him through an invisible barrier. Which opened out onto a crowded shopping street. They then went down the street until they came across a small alleyway between two shops.

"Now take my hand and hold on to it really tightly, we are going to apparate. Fabian you know where we are going in right?" Said Gedeon as he glanced across at his brother with a teasing smile. Fabian just huffed indignantly and vanished with a crack, making Dudley jump in surprise and Gedeon chuckle. "It won't hurt, just feel really uncomfortable." He said with a grin as he took Dudley's hand.

Then suddenly Gedeon hand seem to twist in his and Dudley had to tighten his grip to keep a hold. The world around him turned pitch black and he felt as if he was being squeezed through a very small tube. Then the world was back and Gedeon had to stop him from toppling over. Gasping for air he glanced around to find that suddenly they were in a alleyway surrounded by houses.

Fabian was there with a smirk on his face from seeing Dudley's surprised expression. "It takes a bit for you to get use to the feeling, but you did good. Gedeon throw up the first time we did it." Fabian said his grin more broadly. Gedeon ignored his brother and lead them out of the alleyway and down the street. They ended up in front of a large building surrounded by a tall metal fence with a gate in it. Gedeon pushed it open and they went up the sidewalk that lend to the front door. "O, before I forget." After rummaging around in his pockets, he pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Dudley."In case you need to contact us before September 1."

"Why what's happening on September 1?" Dudley asked in confusion as he stuffed the piece paper into one of his pockets.

"Hogwart's term starts, we'll come pick you up and take you to the station. Blimey, how did you forget that? I was excited for weeks beforehand. " Said Fabian shaking his head disbelief.

"Yeah and he won't shut up about it either." Said Gedeon as he knocked on the large oak door.

A moment later a middle aged woman opened the door with a smile. "Mr. Prewetts it's so good to see both of you, and you must be Damon Drake, I am Pansey Stone. I run the orphanage. " She said with a smile at Dudley.

"Hello." He said nervously, as he tried to remember all his parents tips about being polite.

"Take good care of him Stone. We will see you in a week." Said Gedeon with a nod at Stone as the brother turn and left.

"Well, come inside and I will show you around." Said Stone as she stepped aside to let him in.

The building was pretty much a large house with built to accommodate many looked normal for the time. Miss Stone lead the way around the place. As they walked pass different rooms she would tell him what they were and any rules attached to them. The rules all mostly centered around behaving, not picking fights and so on. When they passed the dining room and kitchen she explained that there were three meals a day and if you missed one you could have any left over out of the fridge. There was a curfew at ten but as long as you were quiet and in your room you could stay up for longer. She also introduced him to any kids or other assistants they came across, though no one stuck out to him. Over all when they came to his room he found the place rather dull compared to his visit to the magical world.

"And this will be your room." Stone said as she pushed open the door to one of the rooms on the second floor. It wasn't very big but since he doubted that he would be spending much time in doors he wasn't worried.

"There is a few more things that I need to tell you. First of all we are the only witch and wizard in the orphanage so make sure to keep your magic in check. I am also very busy so you're expected to figure out your own problems. There's a fireplace in the study which you are allowed to use for flu calls if you have need to. And here are two keys that were sent with your trunk, one is probably to it. Do you have any questions before I go?" She said this all rather hurriedly as she passed him the keys.

"How long will I be here? Gedeon said it was until further notice. What does that mean?" Asked Dudley.

"Well, since your pure-blooded you would have links with other pure-blooded families. So it is possible that one of those families will be willing to adopt you. But that probably won't happen until the end of your first school it's an hour until supper so I suggest you use it to settle in." With that she left the room.

Dudley slumped down on the bed situated in one of the corners of the room as soon as the door shut. He then buried his face in his hands. _"What am I doing I? I should be making a break for it or trying to use the necklace again. So why aren't I? Who was or is Damon Drake? And how am I going to fake using magic if I'm going to Hogwarts?"_

-(Author notes)-

Like usually I hope anyone who read this enjoyed it and will be willing to review. Though honestly I don't like this chapter as much because it felt like it was harder for me to write. Do you guys think its going to slowly? Sorry if I just spammed anyone's inbox, I had to go back and fix a few things that I missed when I looked over it. Still don't have a Beta.


	4. Chapter 4: The Two Meetings

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

Chapter 4: The Two Meetings

When he woke up it was warm and he was encased in blankets. He burrowed deeper underneath them and started to wonder what he had to do today. Usually he had to go to work but today felt like a Sunday. If today was a Sunday then yesterday something outside of his regular routine must have happen. Now he just had to remember what it was. The memories of what happened yesterday descended on him like a sledgehammer. Making him bolted upright in the bed.

The room that greeted him was not his, this room was plain and empty. He slumped back in the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Last night had be uneventful. Dinner had been like the ones at Smeltings, noise and crowded. (Though without the attempts of trying to hit other kids over the head with a cane.) He hope that in the future he would be able to avoid the meals and just scavenge something from the kitchen.

Pushing himself up again he glanced over at the small table beside his bed. On it were two keys that were attached to a chain. One was a tiny golden one. The other one was silver and about 3 inches long. He tossed the blankets off of him and climbed out of bed. Grabbing them he went to the foot of the bed were a trunk sat. It was black with a small silver plaque on it which had the initials D. D. engraved in it. Next to the keyhole was a dial. The dial had sections of different colors and a arrow which was currently pointed at white. He took the silver key and tried unlocking the the trunk with it.

It worked and he opened the trunk to see a assortment of normal clothing much to his relief. He took out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Both of them fit as if they had been bought for him._ "Which honestly is kinda creepy."_ Dudley thought to himself as he changed. He then folded his own clothes and set them in the trunk. Noting that he should probably wash them since they were covered in sand.

He then shut the trunk and looked at the dial. His curiosity getting the better of him he turned the dial to black and opened it again to see if it had done anything. To his surprise it had, inside the trunk were now wizard clothing. He then tried all the rest of the colors to see what would happen. Red,orange, and purple were all empty. The blue one had several different books, as well as some star charts and a telescope in it. The green one held a sort ment of what looked to him to be weird cooking utensils, along with different ingredients. One of which being eyes in a bottle. Which had thoroughly freaked him out when he picked them up to find something looking back at him.

But what had interested him the most was what was in the yellow compartment. There was two small wood boxes, a picture and the Hogwarts letter. He looked at the picture first.

It was of two adults and a kid standing in front of a beautiful american home. It had been winter when the picture was taken, so they were bundle up in wizard winter clothing. The man had messy brown hair that reminded him of Harry's, while the woman had light blond hair.

After seeing the kid he couldn't blame the Prewetts for mistaking him for Damon. They looked almost exactly alike (or at least in his current body).

Damon had his mother's light blond hair which could probably turn white pretty easily under stress. He was somewhat short and chubby though he probably grow out of both. He had a big toothy grin in the picture showing that he had been missing one of his front teeth when the picture had been taken.

Dudley smiled at the scene in the picture. It reminded him of some of his own Christmas photos only his hadn't moved.

He shook himself out of his memories and carefully tucked the photo make into the trunk. He then picked up the Hogwart's letter but all he gained from that was that Damon had most likely come over from America around his eleventh birthday.

He turned his attention to the two boxes next. One of the boxes had two dragons carved on it. One of the dragons looked filled with life while the other looked like it was merely a skeleton with skin. Arching over them were the words:

**Thine memories with in I hold, From dawn until you lay cold.**

Dudley shivered after he read this and carefully tucked the box into the a one of the back corners of the trunk without opening it.

The other box was long and thin. Opening it up he saw a wand. There was a small note attached to the top of the inside of the box that read:

**We will buy you one that is suited for you, before you go to school. But hold onto this for the time being, it's a family heirloom so don't loose it. -M&D**

Dudley scanned the note then plucked the wand from the case. Warmth instantly ran up through his fingertips as red and gold sparks swirled from the tip. Dudley yelped and dropped it back into the trunk where it rolled slowly across the bottom until it came to a stop in one of the corners. He shut the trunk with a snap and checked the fingertips of his hand for burns. There weren't any but he made a mental note to be more cautious when he picked the wand up the next time. He relocked the trunk then headed out of the bedroom in search of food.

-(Later that day)-

That afternoon he found himself in a park several blocks away from the orphanage. And at the current moment was trying to take a nap in a tree. Its branches being the perfect width apart to lay on without the fear of falling through them. He was just about to fall asleep, when he heard footstep and then someone kicked the tree.

"Lily this and Lily that! You'll do great Lily!"

There was another hash kick to the trunk of the tree. Carefully rolling over he looked down at the foot of the tree to see a tall, skinny, blonde-haired girl. She looked to be a couple years older than his current body. She continued to mutter angrily and kick the tree. He sighed and tried to think of what to do.

Dealing with angry kids really wasn't his forte, since he didn't have any experience. His kids had never really kicked up fuss with him because he was the soft one of their parents. And he had always been the one throwing the tantrum when he was a kid. So he guessed he just would have to wing it and see how it turned out.

He slide from the branches and landed beside the girl with a soft thud. The girl jumped and after quickly getting over her shock, lashed out at him.

"What were you doing up there? Spying on me!" She snapped as she glared at him.

He narrowed his eyes at her as he quickly started to lose his own temper. "Yeah, I can see the future and knew you would throw a tantrum under the tree I was trying to nap in." He said sarcasm practically dripping off every word.

She blushed and tried to cover her embarrassment by saying. "What are you taking a nap for you s-sick or something?"

"Nope, but you're green with envy because of this Lily girl."

"She's my sister and I am not jealous!" The girl yelled at him, turning even more red.

Dudley shrugged and tossed the leather jacket over his shoulder. "You can keep telling yourself that but to anyone else it's as plain as day." With that he ambled over to the swings. The girl followed close behind him. As he slumped down into one of the swings. The girl walked around and stationed herself stubbornly in front of him.

Hands on her hips, she fixed him with a glare and repeated. "I am not jealous of Lily." Dudley arched his eyebrows disbelievingly at her. Shifting uneasily under his gaze. She looked down at her shoes and muttered. "Alright, maybe I am a little."

Dudley snorted and said. "Try a lot."

She reddened and hiss. "Shut up! I don't even know way I am talking to a rude boy like you!"

He shrugged again and said. "Maybe because you just need someone to talk to." After a pause he continued. "So.. what can she do that you can't?"

"She can do magic!" Then realizing what she said she looked horrified. "I-I mean she…" She tailed off as she tried to come up with something up to fix her blunder.

"So she is a witch." He said calmly.

"Y-yeah, how do you know about magic?"

He ignored the question and turned his gazed up to the sky above. He was thinking of what he had heard Harry say once. It had made sense and so he repeated it. "Magic is like electricity. It can do some amazing things but it doesn't fix all our problems. Sometimes it is even the cause of the problems because it can break down and even kill people if we're not careful on how we handle it. So really being able to use is both a blessing and a curse. And in the end you shouldn't be that jealous cause you know you can still do other things she can't." He looked back at the girl to see a thoughtful expression on her face. "Now come and swing with me instead of standing there, I can't even remember the last time I was on one of theses." He said as he flailed his legs a little in a failed attempt to get moving.

The girl laughed and took the swing beside him. "What's your name by the way?" She asked as she started to slowly swing back and forth, while still watching him make his miserable attempts to move his.

"Damon Drake." He said with only a slight pause that went unnoticed.

"I am Petunia Evans, nice to meet you." She said with a smile.

Dudley nearly fell off his swing in shock. _I just befriended my mum! _

-(Author notes)-

I hoped you enjoyed and are willing to review.

The dial idea i got from Howl's Moving Castle.


	5. Chapter 5 Laying Low and Leaving

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

Chapter 5: Laying Low and Leaving.

Dudley having no idea how to act towards his mum tensed and silently continued his attempts to swing (which were slowly getting better). Petunia for her part was oblivious to the sudden tension, she just seemed happy to have made a new friend.

"I use to do this with my sister." She said absentmindedly.

"Use to?" Dudley asked staring at his feet.

"She prefers to play with that boy now." She replied with disdain in her voice.

"What boy?"

"The Snape boy that lives on Spinner's End. He's a creepy brat and has horrible clothes."

Dudley grimaced at the way his mother was acting. The superior attitude reminded him a lot of himself when he was a bully. "Come off it! He can't be that bad." He said, not really believing what she was saying.

"He is!" She snapped trying to defend her dislike for Snape as she turn slightly red again.

Dudley said calmly "Well I don't judge people from what I hear from others. I try to give them a chance."

"O... well if you do ever meet him I am sure you'll agree with me." She said almost sulkily.

Dudley just shrugged noncommittally and looked back up at the sky. _"Was this all how it started? If I wasn't here she would just be brooding in the playground. Letting her jealous rot her heart.. until she wouldn't even give her nephew a little love."_ He thoughts swirled around in his as he stared blankly up at the cloudy blue sky.

"Are you alright?" Petunia asked softly.

Dudley jerked out of his thoughts and looked over at her. "Yeah, I am fine just zoned out." He said with a faint smile. "Though I better be going since I fancy that it's close to lunch time." With that he jumped off his swing and started heading back towards the orphanage.

"Oi, am I going to see you again?" Yelled Petunia as she got off her swing as well.

"yeah, I am sure of it!" He called back over his shoulder._ "But I won't be seeing you." _he added to himself. Even though he wanted to get to know this softer younger version of his mum. _"I don't think I can without changing the future and I don't know the damage that I could cause. Which means the best coarse of action is to avoided everyone, so I will be laying low from now on."_

-(September 1st)-

Rest of the few days until September first were uneventful. For most of the daylight he spent in his room flipping through the books that were stored in the trunk, with a hope of coming across something to do with the necklace. When he got bored of that he would go watch the telly with a few of the other kids or do some shadow boxing. During the night when he was unable to sleep he would escape his room using a tree outside his widow and take long walks through the neighborhood.

When September 1st came Dudley was extremely nervous. He had no clue to what was going to happen and he was literally in overdrive with panic. _"What if they find out that I'm not magical and they throw me out! Then I will never be able to figure out what the necklace is! What if I already erased my existence from the future by just meeting my mum? What if I run into my Aunt and Uncle?"_ He was a complete mess on the inside but on the outside he looked calm even a little emotionless.

When the Prewetts had come picked him up that morning both of them were wearing normal clothing. Gideon had explained that they were going to apparated to some place in London then walking the rest of the way to King's Cross Station.

Once they got to the station Fabian dumped Dudley's trunk (that he had been carrying) onto a trolley and passed it to to him. "Alright so I will go first and then Gideon will go after you through the barrier. I suggest that you take it at a run since it's your first time." Fabian said briskly with a grin on his face. Then he turned on his heel and sauntered calmly straight into the barrier between nine and ten. Dudley quickly looked around to see if anyone else had noticed but everyone around them seemed to be absolutely oblivious to Fabian's disappearance.

"So ready to give it a go?" Asked Gideon quietly.

Dudley nodded nervously and pushed his cart forward. Even though the wall didn't seem as solid as it should it still looked like a brick wall. Which made his grip on the trolley turn white. _"Well looking on the bright side if I just rush it and break my neck then I won't have to deal with a failed attempt at getting through."_ With this thought morbidly sitting in the forefront of his mind he charged the barrier. He snapped his eyes shut tightly before he hit the barrier- But nothing happened… Opening his eyes again, he screeched to a hault. To find himself on another platform.

Leaning against a near by wall Fabian said "Not so bad was it."

Dudley rolled his eyes at him and scanned his surroundings with interest. Next to the platform was a large scarlet steam engine puffing billows of smoke over their heads. There was a sign hanging from the ceiling that read Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock. The platform itself was packed with people. Trunks,owls and cats were scattered all over the place.

"Come on lets find you a place to sit." Said Gideon who had just came through the barrier.

They found empty compartment at the end of the train. Though neither of the brothers seemed to please that Dudley was determined to sit alone. Gideon finally conceded when Fibian muttered that someone would probably come looking for a less crowded compartment later so he wouldn't be spending the whole trip alone. They headed out saying that they had important auror business to do and would contact him during the holidays.

After they left Dudley made himself comfortable by the widow with his back in the corner. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back as he listened to bits of conversation that flowed through the slightly open window.

"Be good and make sure to write…"

"Course not I going to be finishing…."

"... fastest broom yet! But mum and dad…."

"..lost 5 galleons cause they didn't win…"

"..I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen- Maybe once I'm there- no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"

Dudley frowned in thought. The nickname Tuney sounded familiar but he couldn't place it.

"I don't - want- to- go!"

Dudley eyes snapped open at hearing the voice of the younger version of his mum. But he didn't dare move encase he drew attention to himself. "She must be talking to my Aunt…" He thought to himself as he sank lower in the seat.

Petunia continued to talk. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a- a-" There was a pause and all he could hear was the bustle of the platform. "-you think I want to be a- a…" There was another pause. "I am going to go to the boarding school- so I don't need to learn magic!"

His Aunt seemed happy and relieved when she replied. "I'm sure you'll do great there, Tuney! And learn lots of things!"

The whistle of the train blow and he heard his Aunt shout that she would write, over the noise of kids clambering onto the train. Dudley sighed in relief as he felt the train start to move out of the station. _"I never thought I would be avoiding my own mum... or Aunt for that matter."_ He thought grouchily to himself as he dug around to find the book on potions that he had kept out to read. But before he could start reading the door to his compartment slide open.

-(Author notes)-

Sorry for the longer wait on this one. Hope anyone that read this enjoyed and is willing to review. So he is off to Hogwarts hopefully it didn't seemed too rushed or anything.


	6. Chapter 6: Finally There

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

-Chapter 6: Finally There -

Hoping that they would go away, he didn't look up from his book. Until who ever opened the door spoke.

"Is it alright if we sit in here?"

Looking up he saw a girl with dark red hair and bright green eyes. Behind her stood a boy with black hair and dark eyes. He sighed and nodded. "Go ahead."

Both of them took the seats across from him. "I am Lily Evans and this is Severus Snape."

He was able to keep the surprise off his face but it was very hard. "I am Damon Drake." He muttered. I never thought that I would meet her...well at least not when I was alive anyway."

"Didn't think that they would allow students to have bleached hair in Hogwarts." Sneered Snape with obvious distaste.

Dudley frowned and sent a smoldering glare at him. "It's not bleached! It's my natural hair colour." He growled through gritted teeth.

"O.." Snape said taken aback by the response.

Lily had frowned at Snape's rudeness but hadn't said anything. She noticed his book and quickly changed the subject. "You interested in potions?"

Dudley was tempted to just ignore the question so that they would leave him alone. But the possibility of getting to know his Aunt even a little bit was too good to pass up. "Yeah.. It's the only class that makes the most sense to me. What class are you excited about?"

"All them, what about you severus?" She said turning to Snape.

"Potions mainly though they all look interesting." Snape said still frowning at Dudley. "Were you muggle raised?" He asked.

"I thought that didn't matter?" Said Lily.

"It doesn't! I am just curious." Said Snape quickly reassuring Lily. Both of them looked over at him to see if he was offended by the question.

But he didn't even notice their look, he was currently staring out the window with a thoughtfully. "He, himself was non-magically raise. To the point where the word magic would have been considered a swear word in their household. Damon Drake on the other hand would have been magically raised, right? Because his family had been known as a pure-blooded family. But the problem was that he know far more about the non-magical world than a pure-blooded wizard or witch should know. So what was the easiest explanation that no one would doubt?"

"I grow up knowing that I was a.. wizard. But I played alot with m-muggle kids, because there weren't any other magical families in the area…" He said and then tailed off at the end since he didn't know what else to say. Unable to look at his Aunt due to just lying to her face, he looked intently at his hands as he fiddled with his book.

"That's not a bad thing." Said Lily thinking that he was embarrassed for not having any magical friends. "Me and Severus have only been friends for a year or so. And my parents and my sister are muggles." She continued with a reassuring smile.

Her smile was infectious because Dudley quickly found himself smiling back at her. Snape didn't seem so pleased with this new friendship but he didn't look to upset either, which Dudley took as a good sign. Dudley ended up asking questions about Hogwarts to get the focus off of himself. This turn out to be a good strategy because it made the other two much more talkative. After that conversation ended Dudley turned his attention back to his book and Lily and Snape talked among themselves for a while. A lady with a trolley covered with candy stopped by but none of them bought anything. Lily said she wanted to save her pocket money, but neither he or Snape made any excuse. The rest off the trip was uneventful though he had to keep reminding himself not to try to get close since it would be then be harder to avoid her later on.

When the train came to a stop, he was ready to get off. Having been warned by an older student, he and Lily had changed into their robes a little bit before. Stepping off the train he heard a loud gruff voice bellow.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

He quickly located the man as he towered over the students. He remembered the man from when he had picked up Harry. And with this memoir fresh in his mind he made sure that there were several other first students years between the two of them. _"Hagrid is his name, I think. And he has a job at Hogwarts which is obvious."_ Dudley thought absentmindedly.

They followed Hagrid down a steep narrow path to the shore of a lake where a fleet of boats were waiting for them. Dudley ended up in the same boat as Lily and Snape as well as one other kid. No one spoke after Hagrid shouted for the boat to take off, everyone was staring up at the huge castle standing tall above them. Even he was enchanted at it's proud beauty. As they near a hole in the cliff, Hagrid hollered for them to duck as they passed through, they reached a harbor after floating through some tunnels. The harbor was placed underneath the castle itself. After getting out of the boats, they clamored after Hagrid through a passageway to a pair of large oak front doors. After a quick check to see that everyone was there he reached out and knocked three times on the doors. A tall stern looking black-haired witch in a emerald-green robes opened the doors.

"The firs' years, Professor Mcgonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door open wider to allow them to enter. They stepped into the next room which was a gigantic entrance hall that was light with torches. There was a marble staircase in front of them that must lead to the floor above them. Mcgonagall lead them a small empty chamber off the hall. There she explained the houses and what was expected of them. After this small speech she left telling to smart themselves up before the sorting.

Dudley stood in the back of the group with Snape who was nervously straightening his robes and Lily. Two boys towards the front of the group were talking loudly in an attempt to look bold. Which he found annoying but since he couldn't see them they were easy to ignore. He could hear several kids talking about what you would have to do to get sorted. Some of their ideas involved fighting dragons or having to do some sort of magical test.

Sudden there were gasps, screams and even Dudley's jaw dropped in surprise as several ghosts floated through the solid back wall of the chamber. They were pearly-white and you could see right through them. They didn't pay hardly any attention to the first years as they passed through the chamber and talked among themselves

"I've been thinking of asking to join the headless hunt. What do you think Friar?" said a man wearing a ruff and tights.

"I think it's that would be a wonderful idea. I am sure that they will accept you, after all you are nearly headless." replied the fat little monk floating along beside him.

"Yes, but that what worries me."

"Ah, new students I presume." Said the Friar, who seemed finally notice them. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff." He continued cheerfully.

"Or in Gryffindor." The other ghost said nodding at them. Which caused his head to fall off or at least it nearly did. The ghost's head was still attached to his body by a piece of skin. This spectacle caused another round of screams and gasps from the first years.

Professor Mcgonagall reappeared shortly after that and quickly ushered them to follow her. They formed a line as she instructed. Then followed her out the chamber, across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. There were thousands of candles floating above their heads with a ceiling that looked like it was transparent because it showed the night sky. There were four long table one for each of the houses. And on the other side of the room was another table for the teachers.

Dudley made sure not to make eye contact with Dumbledore, remembering Harry saying something about eye contact and mindreading. Once they they were in place in front of the teacher's table. All attention was turned to a scruffy ancient looking hat which Mcgonagall had placed on a stool in front of them. Silence fell and then the hat began to sing.

-(Author notes)-

Like always hope anyone who read this enjoyed it and are willing to review.

I might try to write song for kicks or I might just skip the singing and just give the gist of the song haven't decided yet. But which ever is the case the sorting is up next. I am still looking for a beta.


	7. Chapter 7: The Hat and the Daily Prophet

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

-Chapter 7: The Hat says and The Daily Prophet -

When the song ended everyone cheered and clapped. Then fell silent again as Mcgonagall picked up the hat.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted, Avery, -" Snape shifted besides him and whispered to Lily distracting him from Mcgonagall. "Don't worry you'll be fine."

"SLYTHERIN!"

Dudley winced suddenly realizing that he that he probably wouldn't be, because he couldn't do magic in the first place.

"Black, Sirius!"

The familiar name caused him to look over to see a good looking kid with black hair walk forward and sit down on the stool. _"So he is Harry's godfather..or at least he will be. Since that would be in the future…though technically he had been since he was dead now. Well not dead now NOW cause he is sitting right there, which means he clearly alive. But that's only because I went back in time which I still don't understand in the first place..."_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

As he walked over to the red and gold table, he sent a smirk at the other side of the room. Following his gaze he found a enraged looking blonde girl sitting at the Slytherin house table.

"Drake, Damon!"

He strolled forward trying to show as little nervousness as possible. He slumped down onto the stool and the world became black as the hat slidded down over his eyes.

"Hmm.. how interesting." Said a small voice in his ear.

"So are you going to throw me to the dogs?" Dudley whispered.

"Way would I do that? It would be a horrible waste of such great potential." Replied the hat calmly.

"Potential for what! I can't do any magic!" He hissed at the hat.

"O, I assure you that you have magic. That wand was quite quick to realize that."

"You mean the wand that I found in the trunk?"

"Yes, now where to put you? You have some chivalry. You're not bad as far as cunning go either as well as some leadership qualities."

"Wait! So you're actually going to sort me! Even though I'm not Damon Drake! What about the time-traveling and the whole Muggle thing before that!" He growled as quietly as humanly possible.

"You never were a Muggle. But back to the problem at hand, where to put you?"

"Never a Muggle! What do you mean by that?"

"Precisely what I said. Hmm… you have gained some honorable traits and there is still many that you could grow in given some time..."

"I just need some place to lay low until I figure out how to get back to my own time."

"Sometimes it's not as as easy as figuring out the problem, but also carrying out the plan and knowing what you're leaving behind when you move on."

Dudley frowned in confusion but before he could ask another question.

"But since you insist that you want some place where you can lay low as you put it. Good luck in...HUFFLEPUFF!"

Mcgonegal swept the hat off his head and Dudley shot a glare at it as he stood up. _"Don't think this is over! You won't get rid of me that easy!" He strolled over to the cheering table with his scowl still set in place._ "Hopefully they will leave me alone if I don't look friendly." He thought as he took a empty seat at the end of the table. He slumped forward and buried his face in his hands. _ "What did that dusty rag mean when he said that I never was a Muggle? And he didn't seem to even care that I wasn't who I said I was or that I was from the future! UGH I don't understand these people!"_ He hear murmuring and cheering from around him but it was muffled like he was under water._ "What did he by what he last said? Did he think that I don't want to get back to my own time?"_

"I didn't think that Hufflepuff was that bad to be sorted into." Said someone to his right.

Dudley jerked out of his thoughts and turned to look at the kid sitting beside him. The kid was tall and good looking with dirty blonde hair. "Urm.. It wasn't that, it was something the hat said." Glancing around he realized that he must have zoned for far longer than he had thought, because the sorting was now over. He grimaced and chided himself._ "Dang, I probably should have been paying attention to that."_

At that moment Dumbledore stood up beaming. "Welcome to another new year at Hogwarts! Before we dig in let me say a few words. They are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Cheering and clapping broke out and Dudley snorted in amusement.

All kinds of food started to appear on the dishes that were set on the table. Even though the food looked really good, he didn't feel very hunger. But he took a piece of roast beef and a little from the other things around him in order to not stand out.

"So what did the hat say?" Asked the kid to his right.

"Nothing that concerns you." Said Dudley flatly and then grimaced at his own rudeness.

The kid didn't seem at all deterred by it though and introduced himself. "I am Frank Longbottom, by the way." He said with a grin and offered his hand.

"The last name sounds familiar…. maybe one of Harry's friends?" Dudley thought but accepted the hand anyway. "Damon Drake." He said calmly in return.

"Hey, wasn't there something about your family in the Daily Prophet." Said a kid across the table from them, who was now leaning over with interest. "Or at least there would have been if the Aurors didn't stop them from printing it. It must have been bloody barking, want to tells us what it was about?" By now many of the surrounding students had taken an interest in the conversation as well.

"The Auror's stopping the press from printing things doesn't happen often I take it?" Dudley asked curiously.

"No! It's like the first time in wizard history!" Replied the kid with excitement.

"Or at least that we know of. "Added Longbottom after he had swallowed his mouthful of food.

"Well, yeah… " Said the kid looking a little sheepish. "But what did they want to cover up so bad?"

"I'm sure the almost destruction of a pure-blooded family would make the wizarding news, but that can't be all of it….. so what did they not want people to know?" Dudley shrugged and replied "I don't know." He then took a large bite out of his piece of roast beef.

"Awh.. come on. You're a Drake, you should at least have some idea of what the rest of your family is doing!"

Dudley fixed an irritated glare at the kid._ "Yeah, I know what they are doing right now is laying in the cold hard ground… Well, not even that really."_ He chewed his food slowly then swallowed and replied with a cold tone. "If you hadn't notice I am the same age as you. So how many adults would tell a kid our age what they are doing exceptionally if it's something the Aurors are trying to cover up?"

"Alright, you have a point there." The kid said deflating with disappointment.

"By the way, how did you find out the Aurors were trying to cover something up and what's your name?" Asked Dudley with a frown.

" Another writer of the Daily Prophet wrote an article about it. There was a allot of stuff about stopping free writing and all of that, my mother said it was rubbish." Answered Longbottom.

"It's not! If they were able to stopped this article, what will stop more of them in the future?" Said the kid with a determined look on his face. " And my name is Adrian."

"It's rubbish the Aurors wouldn't be do that! And I am sure that they had a really good reason for stopping the article, plus the Minister was there to backed them up." Snapped Longbottom.

"Yeah, but they aren't telling us what that reason is!" Growled Adrian.

"ENOUGH!" Snapped an older student, causing both Adrian and Longbottom to jump. "They will probably release a reason later, but even if they don't it's neither of you two's business. Is that understood?"

"Yes." Both of them reluctantly replied, though they were still shooting glares at each other.

Dudley absentmindedly noticed that the student that had spoken up had a badge with a large "P" on it attached to her robe. The students that had been eavesdropping quickly returned to their own conversations.

He glanced around at the others tables, his Aunt was at the Gryffindor with Harry's Godfather. Looking the other way he saw Snape sitting rather sulkily at the Slytherin table. _"Not that I blamed him getting separate from your only friend, sucks… "_ His thinking glumly of Piers and the few other people that he would call his family and friends. _"Have they noticed that I am gone? Does time even move in the future since I am in the past? Have I change the future by just being here?"_  
In order to distract from his rapidly darkening thoughts, he leaned over to the older student and after getting her attention. He asked about the adults at the fifth table.

"Well the big man at the end is Hagrid his the grounds keeper here. Then there is Mcgonagall who teaches Transfiguration and is also the Head of the Gryffindor house. Professor Flitwick who teaches Charms and is Head of RavenClaw…" As she continued talking Dudley recognized the names of some of them. But a few of them he did not like the Arts teacher and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Apparently the last one had messed up a spell during the summer and had ended up somewhere in Norway where the dragons had tried to eat him.

"People say the position is curse cause no one survives more than a year." Said Longbottom who had joined the conversation.

"Cursed as in they all end up dead or something?" asked Dudley.

"No, not all of them. But there usually something that goes wrong and they never come back for another year." Said the Prefect.

The dessert dishes started to disappear and Dumbledore stood again. He said that the Forbidden Forest was out of bonds and the quidditch team tryouts would be held in the second week of term. After another song the houses headed of to their own dormitories. The older girl that he had been talking to earlier lead the way. "I am Prefect Amelia Bones, if you need anything feel free to ask me or any of the older students and we will be glad to help." She said giving them a smile as they headed down a flight of stairs leading to the floors below. The Slytherins were also heading in the same direction, while the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors were heading up. She nodded to the Slytherin boy Prefect as they passed each other. "Make sure to watch the fifth step on the next flight of stairs, I heard that Peeves put waxes on from the Fat Friar." She called over to him.

He nodded his thanks as the two houses split heading in different directions. Dudley caught another glimpse of Snape before they turned a corner, he still looked pretty down. They passed through a several hidden doors and hallways. They passed a large painting of a basket of fruit before finally stopping in front of a stack of barrels. "Now listen up!" Bones shouted to get everyone's full attention. Then she reached out and taped a rhythm on one a barrel that was two from the bottom and middle of the second row. It swung open to reveal a small round passageway. "Follow me." She said before she hoisted herself up and crawled into it. There was a moment of silence as the first years shuffled nervously in front of the barrels. Dudley sighed and brushed through the group of first years. He quickly pulled himself up and into the barrel and without a backwards glance crawled into the small earthy passageway.

-(Author's notes)-

Thank you! Everyone that voted and has reviewed! I honestly didn't expect that many replies and it was cool to see people's different opinions. As always I hope you enjoyed and are willing to review.

On a side note I had Dudley miss the rest of the sorting cause I thought it would be boring to introduce the rest of the Marauders and the other canon characters like that. But I did introduce Sirius because he was before him in sorting. Also I'm using last names in order to show the relationship between the Dudley and other character. Once they become friends I'll switch to using their first name.

I will be fudging on different character as far as when they came to Hogwarts. So you'll see more people that you will recognize the names of but could argue that they shouldn't be there. Cause honestly I have no clue as to when Amelia Bones went to Hogwarts but she seemed to work as a good Hufflepuff Prefect.

Does anyone have an idea for a good last name for Adrian?


	8. Chapter 8: Nightmares and Classes Begins

Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

-Chapter 8: -

There was a dip in the tunnel before it opened up into a brightly lit room. Swinging his legs over the edge he slide off the edge of the barrel and dropped onto the floor below it. The room he enter was decorated in copper, yellow and black colors. The room was round in shape and there were windows that was letting in sunlight which he assumed was fake since it was night. Looking out of them you could see rippling grass and dandelions. Plants were scattered all over the room as well as hanging from the ceiling.  
"Welcome to the Hufflepuff common room." said Bones.  
He smiled and nodded his thanks. Even though it wasn't really his style it had a cozy and had a friendly feeling to it.  
"Blimey! This is ace!" Said Longbottom as he dropped out of the tunnel beside him.  
There were two tunnels lead off from the common room that lead to the boys and girls dorms. He ended up in the same dorm room as Longbottom, Adrian, and another boy. The dorms round like the common room. There were four four-poster beds that were black and yellow covered with patchwork quilts. Dudley felt very tired after such along day and collapsed onto the bed that his trunk was next to. He was already asleep by the time the three boys got in their's.

-(That night)-

_"Daddy! Daddy!" _  
_"Hmm?" He looked questioningly down at his daughter as she tugged at his pant leg. _  
_She frowned and stuck out her bottom lip as she pouted. He smiled with amusement at her. _  
_"It's not fair! I want you to come too!" _  
_"I know my angel but daddy has to stay here and work." He said as he scooped her up and set her on one of his shoulders. _  
_"We'll be back before you know it Rebecca." Said his wife as she walked over with their son beside her. _  
_He smiled lightly at her. "Have fun and don't get into too much trouble." he said to his daughter as he placed her back on the ground. "Same goes for you." he added as he ruffled his son's hair. _  
_"Dad!"He whined with annoyance as he tried to stop him from messing up his hair. "Have a good time visiting your sister." he said before he kissed his wife, much to the disgust of his kids. _  
_"I'm sure we well." she said as they drew apart. They both paused and studied each other for a second, waiting for the other to say something. _  
_Then she looked away and the sounds from the station came cascading back. "See you in three weeks. Don't work too hard." she said smiling as she ushered the kids towards the train. _  
_He waved as they stepped up onto the train. _  
_Suddenly he heard screaming. He whipped around to face the source and then-._

He awoke with a start and the first thing he registered was someone was leaning over him. He reacted on instinct and lashed out hitting whoever it was in the face. There was a yelp of pain as Dudley realized that he just punched some poor kid in the face. Scrabbling to sit up he saw Longbottom sitting on the floor gingerly rubbing his nose.  
"Sorry about that…" Dudley said apologetically.  
"Bloody hell… you can pack a punch." Said Longbottom as he pulled himself off the floor and sat down on the edge of his own bed.  
Glancing around Dudley noticed that Adrian was also awake. But their other roommate was still dead to the world. "What are you two doing up?"  
"You were having a nightmare and woke us up." Said Adrian through a yawn.  
Dudley started to apologize again but Longbottom waved him off. "Don't worry about it we all have nightmares once in a while. Beside they will probably get better once we all get settled in."  
Dudley simply grunted in reply. Not feeling like going back to sleep he slide off the bed and changed into a new pair of robes. "How far away is breakfast?"  
"We still have a couple hours." Longbottom replied sleepily as he snuggled back under his covers. Adrian had already fallen back asleep. Slipping out of the room as quietly as possible. The tunnel seem dark and lonely and the only sound he hear was his bare-feet padding against the stone floor. Then he pushed the door to the common room open and was greeted by warm sunlight filtering through the windows.  
He simply stood in the in a patch of sunlight enjoying the sun lights warm rays brush across his face. 'I still have a few hours to spare… what should I do?" He glanced around the room and his eyes landed on the entrance way to common room.  
He was quickly out of the room and dropping onto the ground on the other side of the tunnel. Then he took off down the hallway. He passed a painting of some fruit and climbed the staircase. Paused at the top of the stairs wondering if he should head out to the grounds or continue exploring the castle. "I should probably try to find the library..." He thought and headed up the large marble staircase.  
He quickly found out that the castle was as large as it looked by wandering around the next floor. He found several different classrooms and a pair of huge double doors that lead to a hospital like section of the castle. He also found long hallway covered with tapestries and a stone bridge. His spare hours quickly vanished along with the dark thoughts that his nightmare had brought. Heading back to the Great Hall he joined Longbottom and Adrian for breakfast in a much better mood.  
"Where have you been?" Asked Longbottom, when Dudley sat down next to him.  
Dudley shrugged as he put some eggs and sausage on his plate.  
Adrian passed him a class chart and said. "Professor Sprout our Head of House passed these out shortly before you arrived, I told her I would give you yours."  
"Thanks." Said Dudley as he looked it over.

-(Going to class that day)-

Each class was interesting and different in their own right except for History of Magic. That had quickly turned out to be even more boring than the history classes he had taken before. Granted the person who had been teaching his classes hadn't bored himself to death and come back to torment the living.  
Herbology was about magical plants and how to care for them taught by Hufflepuff's head of house Sprout, which they had three times a week. Though the first class had only been an introduction it wasn't one that he would forget quickly.  
He, Longbottom and Adrian were heading down to their first Herbology class at the greenhouses.  
"Drake! Drake, wait up!"  
He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. His Aunt and another Gryffindor girl was running to catch up to them.  
"Didn't think I would see you so soon after the sorting." She said with a smile which Dudley returned rather hesitantly.  
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Asked Longbottom. who had doubled back with Adrian when they had noticed that Dudley had stopped.  
"This is Lily Evans, we met on the train. Evans these are two of my roommates Frank Longbottom and Adrian." Dudley paused since he didn't know who the other Gryffindor girl was.  
"I'm Alice Smith." Said the girl beside his Aunt cheerfully. She was a little plump with dark brown hair.  
After greetings were passed around the five of them all headed off to the greenhouses. When they came into view of the first greenhouse there was already a group of students waiting there.  
Dudley froze when he saw everyone in the group. There stood Harry laughing beside his Godfather. But no- it wasn't him. As he studied the kid more, he couldn't look more different than Harry. Where Harry had shown neglect this kid was pampered. He was more filled out and taller than Harry ever was at this age. They carried each themselves completely different, where Harry had shown hesitation this boy showed none. And there was not a trace of the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. As he looked at the kid a heavy knot of guilt settled in his stomach. _"This could have been Harry… Even though his parents had died, he still could have been well taken care of and happy…"_ The kid turned to see the new comers and they locked eyes with each other. The boy's eyes were hazel instead of the bright greens of Harry's. Dudley turned his attention to his companions who were talking excitedly to each other.  
"Hey!"  
Looking back at the group he saw Harry's carbon copy and Godfather with two other boys heading in their direction. _"Great! Not only do I have to deal with my Aunt but my Uncle as well. Someone must really hate me."_ Dudley thought sarcastically to himself.

-(Author notes)-

Thank you, Whispers in the Dawn for beta-ing.

If you read and enjoyed please spend the time to review.

Sorry it's so short, I'll try to make the next one longer. And I won't be updating very often this month because I am doing the Write a 50'000 word novel over November.


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